Bhubaneswar: In a major drug haul, the STF of Odisha Crime Branch arrested three peddlers and seized 2.58 kg of brown sugar worth over Rs 2.5 crore from them during a raid near AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.
The accused have been identified as Bhagirathi Bhatt, Biswajit Nayak and Chandan Mallik. All three are from Bhubaneswar and the city outskirts. They were apprehended following a tip-off on Sunday and were arrested on charges of dealing and possessing narcotic drugs.
“As the accused persons failed to produce any valid documents in support of the possession of such contraband materials, they were arrested and forwarded to the court of District & Sessions-cum-Special Judge, Bhubaneswar,” the STF said in a release.
A case under Section 21(c)/29 of NDPS Act 1985 has been registered in this connection.
The special unit of the Odisha Crime Branch has so far seized more than 54 kg brown sugar, heroin, 202 gm cocaine, more than 103 quintals of ganja, 750 gm opium and arrested more than 150 drug peddlers/dealers during raids against illegal possession/deal of narcotic drugs since 2020, the release added.
